Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - An Education in Malice

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

15 reviews

torismazarine's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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krispi_kebob's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

An Education in Malice is quite the story. I found myself invested in the characters right from the beginning. I appreciated the content warnings at the start of the book a lot to understand what I was getting myself into - the story is complicated, morally grey. I appreciated that sex and sensuality were not the total purpose of the book, but rather fit into the plot like a key in a lock.

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courtsport3000's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Super solid 4.5, leaning oh so close to a five. This book had me on a leash the entire time I was reading it. I was hooked from the first chapter and tore through the pages as quickly as I could. I always wanted to be reading, always had these characters on my mind.

There's so much in this book that Gibson does well that I hardly know where to start. The dark academia vibes are perfection. The character work is some of the best I've read in a long time. The way the relationships are portrayed in this book... somehow Gibson manages to capture all these subtle, delicate little details that really make everything feel realistic and relatable, even when it's not. There's this careful balance between the comfortable and the uncomfortable and it's handled in a way that's almost playful. It works so well in a book that centers yearning that becomes obsession and idolatry that borders on unhinged. Add in all the trademark moments of college girl life - discovering an independent self, exploring sexuality, deciding where you fit (or don't fit) within the norms and expectations you carry... I could ramble forever about all the ways I found this book relatable in all the best and worst ways.

As for the more horror-ish elements, those were more in the forefront than I expected them to be, but not in a bad way. I do wish certain aspects of that plotline were better fleshed out (not a pun...?) but I found them rewarding regardless. I also have complicated feelings about the ending, but I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. Eager to see what other readers think about it.

I'm basically going to scream about this book for a really long time. So grateful to Redhook for an ARC in exchange for review.

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tales_told_in_gold's review

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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aileron's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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bergha1998's review

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Beautifully written and the setting was gorgeous. As with Dowry of Blood there is so much psychological and interpersonal conflict. It can be difficult and a bit triggering to be honest. However, I really liked Laura and Carmilla.

Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Emotional, 2 1/2 🔥

“Life doesn’t seem worthwhile without synthesizing my experiences into art, the catharsis of putting it all out onto the page. It’s the only way I’ve ever been able to get other people to understand how I’m feeling.”

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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Instead of devouring this book in one sitting the way I desperately wanted to, I forced myself to take my time while I immersed myself in Saint's gorgeous prose, deep compelling characters, and the stunning dark academia setting. I loved everything about this book and annotated it like crazy. There is just so much to enjoy here and I'm truly not going to shut up until all my friends read this. If you loved Dowry, you'll love this. Just trust me.

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madlysoph's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I fell deeply in love with the imagery and overall vibe established in the beginning of the book. Never have I yearned more for a traditional college experience on a campus with ancient buildings and a rich history. The first few chapters feel sunlit, not necessarily light, but the sun is shining and you, nor the characters, yet know the horrors possible. The characters are all beautifully developed and the three main characters feel whole. De Lafontaine never feels fully known by the reader, because she keeps so much of herself from Carmilla and Laura, as much as they know, we know. This entire book is poetry, I found myself constantly finding lines I wanted to write down. An important thing to know about this book is there is a very distinct first and second half of the book. It is not marked, but there is a specific plot point that very clearly marks the two halves of the book as different. The first half does an amazing job of establishing and creating this world that they live in. The St. Perpetuas campus felt real and I could vividly see it in my mind's eye as though I were there. I loved the creation of the routine, the focus on academia and the obsession with the poetry seminar. The beginning of Laura and Carmilla's obsession with one another, how it slowly but surely goes from embers to a burning fire. The second half is where we delve more into darkness and De Lafontaine, she becomes more known and yet held at arm's length. Academia becomes more of a background part of the story and vampires take the forefront. The evolution of Laura and Carmilla's relationship is so delicious to read, the rivalry to obsession to lovers was done so beautifully. Once their relationship blooms it's so much softer than one would think yet also just as depraved as one expects. I deeply love S.T. Gibson's writing and was thrilled to have a cameo of Magdelena my darling! The ending was bittersweet yet not painful and left the door open for future adventures with Laura and Carmilla in this vampiric world. Fair warning that is book is incredibly horny and there is an orgy scene, all characters are twenty or older and there is very clear consent for everything sexual that happens.

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errie's review against another edition

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dark

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

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skypotion's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ST Gibson showed back up with this. It's no Dowry of Blood, but it's a great novel on its own. The writing is again gorgeous, the intrigue is great, and I love Laura & Carmilla's characterizations, as well as what Gibson is doing here with the power dynamics. Does not let down.

Also, if you're worried about homophobia, don't be. It's in the background, as this is set in the 60's, but neither girl is put in a situation where they have to experience it for themselves.

If you have any concerns about the Toxic Relationship TW:

It is not between Carmilla & Laura, although there are BDSM/power/dom/sub undertones to some of their interactions. These are all consensual, though, & I do believe they're codependent in a fun way (lmao)

If you're curious about any potential Dowry crossovers:

Magdalena appears for a bit! She references the activities in book one, but nothing specifically. It's just wonderful getting to see her again, I love Magdalena

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